tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78468007926307728842016-09-07T23:26:05.399-05:00Greg CooksWhat did you expect? It's a blog about cooking.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-52900819525130303082012-07-09T13:31:00.002-05:002012-07-09T13:31:24.321-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh, poor defunct blog. I have moved my site to a new server. You can find all the old posts and a few new ones here:&nbsp;<a href="http://greginnd.com/gregcooks">http://greginnd.com/gregcooks</a></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-60444094897401581042011-05-22T12:06:00.003-05:002011-05-22T12:12:13.521-05:00Drink your veggies<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxYEyK0k0-o/TdlDEUQF8eI/AAAAAAAACK4/G9VUHCUATNA/s1600/IMG_2538.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxYEyK0k0-o/TdlDEUQF8eI/AAAAAAAACK4/G9VUHCUATNA/s400/IMG_2538.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609588552301408738" /></a>I have been eating more raw foods lately. Not that I am a raw food vegan by any means. I just think it is healthier to have a high percentage of plants in your diet. And raw plants tend to have higher nutrient content and think about all that good fiber. There is the added benefit that your stomach is satisfied without all the added calories and fat that often accompanies cooking. You can eat bushels of greens and not gain an ounce.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, my green smoothie of the day is a blend of cucumbers, broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale and spinach. I blended it up with a cup of Silk brand coconut milk and a bit of water. Yes, I drank the whole pitcher full and feel very full right now.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BRQYiBiWjFU/TdlDDYjCZ0I/AAAAAAAACKo/zfQyeFbOA-I/s400/IMG_2533.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609588536274741058" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifXd-_m9qnA/TdlDDv85SbI/AAAAAAAACKw/bXTi5MbK3hA/s1600/IMG_2537.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifXd-_m9qnA/TdlDDv85SbI/AAAAAAAACKw/bXTi5MbK3hA/s400/IMG_2537.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609588542557211058" /></a></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-47245869400758542332011-05-06T07:44:00.003-05:002011-05-06T07:53:22.375-05:00Shrimp with garlic and soba<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1TmzE6ygljU/TcPtqyXhtPI/AAAAAAAACKU/iKyV0SeKijs/s400/shrimp1-res.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603583680709768434" /><div><div style="text-align: left;">I love Spanish tapas and one of my favorites is the classic Gambas al ajillo, or shrimp with garlic. I like it really garlicky with lots of crushed red pepper and a bit of lemon to finish it off. It is great on its own but just as nice tossed with soba noodles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The great thing about this is that it is easy and quick to prepare. I heated up my wok and added butter and olive oil. I threw in a half teaspoon of a nice crushed red pepper in oil. This was an Asian jarred chili in oil that I found in my local market. You could use just dried red pepper flakes too but I find the chili in oil tends to infuse in the cooking oil better. In went the shrimp and lots of chopped garlic. This was tossed in the pan for a minute or two until the shrimp were just cooked and then a couple tablespoons of lemon juice were added. The cooked soba noodles were mixed in and everything was plated up. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bedUnDLFcgo/TcPtrFBUFaI/AAAAAAAACKc/vNCd44i1JQM/s1600/shrimp3-res.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bedUnDLFcgo/TcPtrFBUFaI/AAAAAAAACKc/vNCd44i1JQM/s400/shrimp3-res.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603583685716874658" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-81358443224266035602011-04-23T09:25:00.002-05:002011-04-23T09:39:02.227-05:00Dinner PlansI'm trying to put together a gourmet meal for my friends who are coming over tomorrow. I considered making rabbit but thought it was not quite appropriate for Easter. But I am tempted. Anyway, here is the menu I have come up with. I'll try to update with pictures as I go along but I may be awfully busy.<div><br /></div><div><b>Atipasto Platter:</b> a variety of artisan cheeses and charcuterie with homemade olive bread, crackers and other small bites. I will add some boiled quail eggs in honor of Easter.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Scallops with saffron cream sauce:</b> These will be toped with a bit of masago fish roe.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Black sesame crusted tuna: </b>This will be seared rare, served on top of a mango plank and garnished with edamame, pickled green mango cubes and some crushed wasabi peas.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rhubarb sorbet</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Lamb ravioli with a rosemary cream sauce:</b> The filling will be made with ground lamb and parmigiano reggiano cheese.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tenderloin Filet with shitake red wine reduction:</b> Served on top of a pan-fried polenta round, the tenderloin will be seared and served with a reduction of red wine, beef stock and shitake mushrooms. This will be garnished with asparagus spears.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Chipotle chocolate panna cotta with cinnamon whipped cream</b></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-30609702227207341952011-02-18T07:39:00.004-06:002011-02-18T07:46:22.051-06:00Chicken and polenta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-awMgIblKwHw/TV52ry6XezI/AAAAAAAACKM/YLSvYVNdylQ/s1600/IMG_2129.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-awMgIblKwHw/TV52ry6XezI/AAAAAAAACKM/YLSvYVNdylQ/s400/IMG_2129.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575023883504286514" /></a>This dish turned out so much better than I expected. The hormone-free chicken was pan seared with just a bit of salt and pepper until nicely browned and crispy. Meanwhile the polenta was prepared by sweating out onions and garlic in a pan. Four cups of chicken stock went into that and a cup of coarse corn meal was whisked in once it reached the boiling point. This was cooked with frequent stirring for about 40 minutes until it was smooth and thick. The sauce was made in the pan that was used for the chicken. After the chicken was browned and set aside, chopped garlic and onions were added to the pan followed a minute later by sliced mushrooms. These were sautéd until softened and the pan, with all those wonderful chicken drippings, was deglazed with a half cup or so of white wine. The juice of one lemon was added. The sauce was reduced for a few minutes and then mounted with a pat of butter to give it a rich texture. The chicken was plated on top of a bed of the polenta and the sauce was spooned over it.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-8714114109711361432010-09-19T20:42:00.003-05:002010-09-19T20:58:46.391-05:00Basil Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa87f1GzpI/AAAAAAAACJA/rfyNb6d467A/s1600/IMG_1274.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa87f1GzpI/AAAAAAAACJA/rfyNb6d467A/s400/IMG_1274.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518806123731668626" /></a>Dinner fell in to place so nicely this evening. I picked a bunch of heirloom tomatoes from the garden today - eight different varieties. So I set about to make some tomato sauce. I sautéed some onion and garlic in a pot and added a cup or so of red wine. I cooked it down until the wine was completely evaporated. Into the pot went a bit bowl of the chopped tomatoes along with some thyme, bay leaves and a few handfuls of fresh basil. Salt and pepper were added to taste. This was cooked down for about an hour and then strained through a food mill. The tomato sauce was added back to the pot and cooked down for another hour and a half until the sauce was thick, sweet and delicious. <div><br /></div><div>I was trying to come up with something to make with the sauce when I spied a package of ground lamb in the freezer. Aha! Lamb ragu! I just need some pasta to go with it. Why not make some fresh pasta tonight? So I did. This is a simple pasta dough. I just threw 1 cup of semolina, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 egg and about a half cup of water into my food processor. I wanted to flavor it up and give it a nice color so I threw in a large handful of basil leaves as well. The dough was kneaded in the processor for a few minutes and then for a minute or two by hand. This was wrapped in plastic and allowed to rest for 30 minutes. I rolled out the pasta into sheets using my pasta roller and then cut wide pappardelle noodles using my pizza cutter.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa87EE2A7I/AAAAAAAACI4/hAYlRrJYz5c/s1600/IMG_1245.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa87EE2A7I/AAAAAAAACI4/hAYlRrJYz5c/s400/IMG_1245.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518806116281484210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa86YvoGhI/AAAAAAAACIw/LyNfI50eppM/s1600/IMG_1250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa86YvoGhI/AAAAAAAACIw/LyNfI50eppM/s400/IMG_1250.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518806104649767442" /></a>Here you can see the fresh pasta being gently simmered in a pot of hot water. Some of the green color disappeared on cooking but a subtle basil flavor remained in the pasta. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa85jArlSI/AAAAAAAACIo/N_036VwROp4/s1600/IMG_1255.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa85jArlSI/AAAAAAAACIo/N_036VwROp4/s400/IMG_1255.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518806090225784098" /></a>The ragu was made with some finely chopped carrots, onions and garlic in the sauté pan. The lamb was added and cooked through. The pan was deglazed with a half cup of red wine. The meat mixture was flavored with some corriander seed and dried and fresh rosemary. The tomato sauce was added and the mixture was simmered for about 40 minutes. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8nVi1aZI/AAAAAAAACIg/0exNS1W7dQo/s1600/IMG_1252.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8nVi1aZI/AAAAAAAACIg/0exNS1W7dQo/s400/IMG_1252.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518805777373292946" /></a>Once the pappardelle were cooked, they were tossed in the pan with some of the ragu to coat the noodles. About 60% of the ragu was removed from the pan prior to adding the noodles.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8mjeMySI/AAAAAAAACIY/Nz3yocV0OC8/s1600/IMG_1260.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8mjeMySI/AAAAAAAACIY/Nz3yocV0OC8/s400/IMG_1260.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518805763932080418" /></a>The pasta was plated up and topped with a good portion of more ragu and some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8mA4actI/AAAAAAAACIQ/O9QKkt1sC4c/s1600/IMG_1279.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8mA4actI/AAAAAAAACIQ/O9QKkt1sC4c/s400/IMG_1279.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518805754646786770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8l1wsduI/AAAAAAAACII/OrJ6QWbwKYo/s1600/IMG_1280.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8l1wsduI/AAAAAAAACII/OrJ6QWbwKYo/s400/IMG_1280.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518805751661623010" /></a>This dish was SO good. Not a morsel was left!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8lsg067I/AAAAAAAACIA/1iC1m4RMwgs/s1600/IMG_1287.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TJa8lsg067I/AAAAAAAACIA/1iC1m4RMwgs/s400/IMG_1287.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518805749179149234" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-11638554283252562462010-08-27T08:42:00.003-05:002010-08-27T08:48:13.814-05:00Blueberries and Arugula?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/THfA8bUTRhI/AAAAAAAACHY/o51llTI2XLw/s1600/IMG_1212.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 374px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/THfA8bUTRhI/AAAAAAAACHY/o51llTI2XLw/s400/IMG_1212.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510084813468681746" /></a>I like to mix it up with my morning breakfast smoothies and today I tried something new. It certainly pleases my palate and it might tickle your fancy too. This is a very simple smoothie - 1 cup light soy milk, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup water, 1 scoop of whey protein powder (unflavored) and a handful of fresh arugula. The greens are from my garden and are particularly peppery this time of year as the August sun starts to wane. The drink is remarkably good with a subtle hint of spicy arugula providing an undercurrent to the berries. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/THfA8BQggKI/AAAAAAAACHQ/uBORKAsYDyw/s1600/IMG_1208.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/THfA8BQggKI/AAAAAAAACHQ/uBORKAsYDyw/s400/IMG_1208.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510084806473449634" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-11955939203600595402010-07-04T13:08:00.003-05:002010-07-04T13:17:13.227-05:00Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO4pm5aAI/AAAAAAAACHI/Z0wMspsWn6A/s1600/IMG_0919.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO4pm5aAI/AAAAAAAACHI/Z0wMspsWn6A/s400/IMG_0919.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490115418401630210" /></a>I made these tasty pork wraps and just have to share it with you all. It is really easy to make and is so delicious. Not only that, it's a nice light and healthy appetizer or meal.<div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO4AlPBCI/AAAAAAAACHA/3CCk87mwcus/s1600/IMG_0916.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO4AlPBCI/AAAAAAAACHA/3CCk87mwcus/s400/IMG_0916.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490115407388804130" /></a>For the pork filling I combined 1 pound of ground pork, half of a red onion, finely chopped, two Thai chilis, finely chopped, a couple tbsp of toasted sesame oil, a couple tbsp of rice vinegar, a couple tbsp of soy sauce and some black pepper. If I had some green onions, those would have gone in too. Oh, I also added a tbsp of minced ginger. This was simply cooked in a sauté pan until cooked through and then served in bibb lettuce leaves.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO3woxGfI/AAAAAAAACG4/eoYkyPJZno4/s1600/IMG_0914.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO3woxGfI/AAAAAAAACG4/eoYkyPJZno4/s400/IMG_0914.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490115403108653554" /></a>You can see I accompanied this with some shredded carrots and daikon radish. I also made a cucumber and pickled bamboo shoot salad with a little rice vinegar and mint. I found the pickled bamboo at my local Asian market. They were pickled with some small red chilis which provided more depth of flavor.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO3ilRm0I/AAAAAAAACGw/5euN8wEnZlw/s1600/IMG_0040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TDDO3ilRm0I/AAAAAAAACGw/5euN8wEnZlw/s400/IMG_0040.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490115399335910210" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-91509480406953751152010-07-02T21:04:00.002-05:002010-07-02T21:08:41.563-05:00A Very Berry Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TC6bBZw7m5I/AAAAAAAACGA/29gPwIUqYYI/s1600/IMG_0866.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 374px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TC6bBZw7m5I/AAAAAAAACGA/29gPwIUqYYI/s400/IMG_0866.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489495444209507218" /></a>I love smoothies for breakfast. I have one almost every day. It's the perfect thing after a brisk morning run. I have been playing around with different combinations of fruits, vegetables and whey protein. I stumbled on this one which is a winner. This is a Blueberry Mint and Protein smoothie. It's very simple. I used one cup of light Silk soy milk, 1 cup of blueberries, 1 scoop of protein powder and about a dozen fresh mint leaves. The mint and blueberry works so well together. It's refreshing and nutritious. Chock full of wonderful vitamins and antioxidants.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-14947955827874685002010-06-29T09:34:00.005-05:002010-06-30T12:45:31.312-05:00It's About Sprouts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE6XWOLVI/AAAAAAAACF4/A75W4ZBFncM/s1600/IMG_0833_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE6XWOLVI/AAAAAAAACF4/A75W4ZBFncM/s400/IMG_0833_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488204496650513746" /></a>It seems I've been obsessed with sprouting things lately both in the garden and in the kitchen. I love the typical bean sprouts that you can buy in the grocery but I love even more to eat seeds that have just sprouted. I use them raw in salads or sauté them with all kinds of dishes. On the plate above are some sprouted seeds that are just a few days old. From left to right we have sprouted green peas, sprouted mung beans and sprouted brown lentils. As they get bigger they grow shoots and will grow their first leaves. I simply soak the dried seeds overnight, drain and then rinse them two to three times a day.<div><br /></div><div>I used these sprouts to make an egg white scramble recently.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE6ACLa0I/AAAAAAAACFw/JgQOHGMz-Z4/s1600/IMG_0860_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE6ACLa0I/AAAAAAAACFw/JgQOHGMz-Z4/s400/IMG_0860_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488204490392431426" /></a> I cooked the sprouts with some shredded carrots, a thai chili and some dried chipotle pepper for a bit of smokiness.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE559vscI/AAAAAAAACFo/BmrPlFK3Fx4/s1600/IMG_0853_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE559vscI/AAAAAAAACFo/BmrPlFK3Fx4/s400/IMG_0853_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488204488763224514" /></a>After a few minutes in the hot pan I added beaten egg whites and scrambled them all up together. It was a wonderful quick and easy dinner.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE5cfbx0I/AAAAAAAACFg/ujeq3lze5Gg/s1600/IMG_0854_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCoE5cfbx0I/AAAAAAAACFg/ujeq3lze5Gg/s400/IMG_0854_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488204480851461954" /></a>You can sprout all kinds of things including many grains. In addition to those depicted above, I also love to sprout radish and kamut. </div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-1821695433747634712010-06-26T15:44:00.005-05:002010-06-26T15:59:05.185-05:00Four Courses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnj8_oz5I/AAAAAAAACFY/zoBURwqssgU/s1600/IMG_0773.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnj8_oz5I/AAAAAAAACFY/zoBURwqssgU/s400/IMG_0773.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487187063363653522" /></a><br /><div>I was inspired reading food blogs to make a light and healthy multi-course dinner that would please the palate but not pack on the pounds. I think I succeeded.</div><div><br /></div><div>First up: <b>Tomato and Rhubarb Salad with Taragon</b></div><div><b></b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnDrRXK4I/AAAAAAAACFQ/sLgSw4a7bBk/s1600/IMG_0752.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnDrRXK4I/AAAAAAAACFQ/sLgSw4a7bBk/s400/IMG_0752.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487186508850342786" /></a>This salad exceeded all my expectations. For two servings I used one half of a tomato, chopped, and two thin stalks of celery. To this was added a couple tablespoons of fresh French tarragon - the kind that has that nice anisey bite to it. A couple tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of rice vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar, salt and pepper and that was all it took to create this salad. I served it on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce. The tarragon married beautifully with the tomato and rhubarb.</div><div><br /></div><div>Second course: <b>Eggplant and Tomato over Shiratake Tofu Noodles</b></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnDC-dJpI/AAAAAAAACFI/xu_1lsjHzRo/s1600/IMG_0755.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnDC-dJpI/AAAAAAAACFI/xu_1lsjHzRo/s400/IMG_0755.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487186498033624722" /></a>I have fallen in love with Shiratake noodles. They are made from soybeans, have very low carbs and essentially no calories (20 per serving). I took one Asian eggplant and the other half of that tomato and stewed it up with salt, pepper and garlic. I added a splash of balsamic vinegar and finished the dish with fresh oregano.</div><div><br /></div><div>Third course: <b>Chicken and Herb Sausage with Sprouted Peas and Carrots</b></div><div><b></b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnCj75ajI/AAAAAAAACFA/XXuRSvnUomU/s1600/IMG_0767.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnCj75ajI/AAAAAAAACFA/XXuRSvnUomU/s400/IMG_0767.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487186489701394994" /></a></div><div>I have been experimenting with sprouts lately. One of the things I have discovered are the dried green and yellow whole peas from my local Indian market sprout beautifully. I just soak them overnight in water, drain them and then rinse the peas two or three times a day. After a few days the start to show their roots. I love them at this stage. They are not quite as sweet as a fresh pea but not as starchy as the dried peas. They are alive and the starches are being acted upon by enzymes to convert the starch to the plants food, sugar. They cook up nicely. This dish was a simple sauté of the peas, carrots and sausage. What really made the dish was the addition of dried chipotle pepper. It provided a wonderful spicy smokiness that tied it all together.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last but not least: <b>Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Soba</b></div><div><b></b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnCWaIbbI/AAAAAAAACE4/jWBtXBTTYwo/s1600/IMG_0770.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnCWaIbbI/AAAAAAAACE4/jWBtXBTTYwo/s400/IMG_0770.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487186486070111666" /></a>I just threw together some shrimp, garlic, commercial chili flakes in oil, salt and pepper and flash sautéed them. Just as the shrimp were about done I threw in cooked soba noodles and tossed them all together in the pan. YUMMY!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnB9XJFMI/AAAAAAAACEw/aTbM9brvVPk/s1600/IMG_0774.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/TCZnB9XJFMI/AAAAAAAACEw/aTbM9brvVPk/s400/IMG_0774.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487186479346685122" /></a>Hope you enjoyed this. You CAN make great tasting food without the fat and calories.</div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-75601381274916163332010-05-10T19:53:00.004-05:002010-05-10T20:08:16.411-05:00Eggplant Curry with Tilapia and Shrimp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irevQ_6fI/AAAAAAAACEA/Be3JnFtr-Co/s1600/IMG_0593.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irevQ_6fI/AAAAAAAACEA/Be3JnFtr-Co/s400/IMG_0593.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469810292013656562" /></a>Hello dear cooking blog. I have to tell you about an experiment I made tonight that turned out pretty darn good. Oh, certainly there are ways to make this even better and some of them would up the calories and fat, but this was quite satisfying. <div><br /></div><div>You may know that I am trying to cook light and healthy and take off some of this winter blubber. It is possible to cook healthy but still have tons of flavor. I stopped by my local Asian grocery on the way home from work and happened to find some of those small little round purple eggplants. So I grabbed some. All the way home I was trying to figure out how to make a curry without the fat. I came up with this.</div><div><br /></div><div>For my curry paste, I made a purée of one onion, 6 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp of ginger and a couple of thai chilis. This was simply thrown into a hot pan along with a tbsp of oil, a tbsp of curry powder, salt and pepper.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irCOswHhI/AAAAAAAACD4/JBSXmMFB9io/s1600/IMG_0584.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irCOswHhI/AAAAAAAACD4/JBSXmMFB9io/s400/IMG_0584.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469809802235354642" /></a>I cooked the paste down for about 5-6 minutes with constant stirring until most of the water from the onion had been cooked out and it began to brown a bit. This gives great color and flavor. You want to cook out the raw onion bitterness. This paste will help thicken my sauce. If I had thought ahead, I would have also thrown in a couple of the raw shrimp into the purée. This would have added another level of flavor to the overall dish. This is a great trick to do in dishes where you want the flavor of ingredients that you really don't want to stew for a long time.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irB7oEF1I/AAAAAAAACDw/xo1QbEstmJs/s1600/IMG_0588.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irB7oEF1I/AAAAAAAACDw/xo1QbEstmJs/s400/IMG_0588.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469809797115418450" /></a>Once the paste was cooked out I added a cup of water and 6 small eggplants cut into quarters.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irBRLHJLI/AAAAAAAACDo/tTBpYDAoTOM/s1600/IMG_0586.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irBRLHJLI/AAAAAAAACDo/tTBpYDAoTOM/s400/IMG_0586.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469809785719694514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irBIzQBiI/AAAAAAAACDg/Q_xxVgZFOAc/s1600/IMG_0589.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irBIzQBiI/AAAAAAAACDg/Q_xxVgZFOAc/s400/IMG_0589.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469809783472129570" /></a>The eggplant and sauce mixture was cooked covered for about 15 minutes until the eggplant became very tender and the sauce thickened a bit. About 3 oz of tilapia and 4 oz of peeled raw shrimp were added to the pan. This was covered and cooked for just a few minutes until the seafood was cooked through.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irA93v4gI/AAAAAAAACDY/nHBh14YlbGc/s1600/IMG_0592.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S-irA93v4gI/AAAAAAAACDY/nHBh14YlbGc/s400/IMG_0592.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469809780538204674" /></a>I think the dish turned out great. You could make this even better if instead of water added to the cooked paste you added a can of coconut milk! I thought about it but I didn't want the added fat tonight. That would take this dish over the top! If I do this again I would also add some fresh curry leaves when I throw in the eggplant and finish it off with some fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime. Oh, some Thai basil would be a great last minute addition too.</div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-30629613605142849522010-03-28T20:09:00.003-05:002010-03-28T20:12:39.597-05:00Wasabi Sesame-Crusted Tuna<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S6_90zUF2KI/AAAAAAAACCg/A6NcllhHeLo/s1600/IMG_0453.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S6_90zUF2KI/AAAAAAAACCg/A6NcllhHeLo/s400/IMG_0453.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453856757338462370" /></a>Here's a quick dish I threw together. It's easy and so tasty. I marinated two 8 oz tuna steaks with a marinade made of a few tablespoons of soy sauce, a teaspoon of sesame oil and a teaspoon of prepared wasabi paste. The fish was marinated for 15 minutes. I pressed the tuna steaks into a bowl of sesame seeds and pan seared it for about 2 minutes on a side in a bit of olive oil. It was tasty and delicious! I served it with quinoa and green beans.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-12930868055025726582010-01-15T08:00:00.002-06:002010-01-15T08:00:08.789-06:00Chicken Satay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmpPxkQEI/AAAAAAAACCQ/yr7BYd-DtvQ/s1600-h/IMG_9894.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmpPxkQEI/AAAAAAAACCQ/yr7BYd-DtvQ/s400/IMG_9894.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424839347451215938" /></a>Finally we come to the end of our New Year's Eve feast. We'll finish in Thailand with some chicken satay. I marinated some thinly sliced chicken breast in yogurt seasoned with curry powder, turmeric, garlic and ginger for about 5 hours. The chicken was skewered and cooked in my grill pan. I served it with a Thai peanut sauce made from creamy peanut butter, soy, sesame oil, sriracha chili oil, rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar and some water. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmo79_DEI/AAAAAAAACCI/bKsUY-YmUb0/s1600-h/IMG_9890.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmo79_DEI/AAAAAAAACCI/bKsUY-YmUb0/s400/IMG_9890.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424839342134594626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmonj636I/AAAAAAAACCA/fRaGlgJX6t8/s1600-h/IMG_9892.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jmonj636I/AAAAAAAACCA/fRaGlgJX6t8/s400/IMG_9892.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424839336656560034" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-47953484027137206852010-01-14T08:00:00.004-06:002010-01-14T08:00:05.989-06:00Potato Jalapeño Poppers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jil4qFkfI/AAAAAAAACB4/soUG80eDPv0/s1600-h/IMG_9887.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jil4qFkfI/AAAAAAAACB4/soUG80eDPv0/s400/IMG_9887.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424834891659710962" /></a>Admit it. You love those fried jalapeño poppers you get at your local sports bar battered, fried and oozing with cheese. I didn't make those for New Year's Eve. Instead I created a potato bite spiced with jalapeño peppers. I made a dipping sauce with some yogurt, mayo and a splash of sriracha chili sauce. <div><br /></div><div>How did I make them? Well, it all started with six large potatoes. I used yukon gold potatoes and boiled them just until fork tender. I didn't want them too soft. I let them cool and then passed them through my ricer. These went into the fridge to be well chilled. When it came time to make the poppers I mixed in some finely diced jalapeño peppers, salt, pepper, a couple of beaten eggs and a couple tablespoons of flour. The mixture was rolled into 1 inch balls, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried in hot oil (375 F) until golden brown.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jilabPacI/AAAAAAAACBw/XSINy-DApvU/s1600-h/IMG_9886.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jilabPacI/AAAAAAAACBw/XSINy-DApvU/s400/IMG_9886.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424834883544377794" /></a><br /></div></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-7473921520408621242010-01-13T08:00:00.003-06:002010-01-13T08:00:00.066-06:00Curried Chicken Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jgpQSC0vI/AAAAAAAACBo/UwcQjBUK3sY/s1600-h/IMG_9878.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jgpQSC0vI/AAAAAAAACBo/UwcQjBUK3sY/s400/IMG_9878.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424832750517670642" /></a>Chicken salad spiced with Indian flavors were a hit on New Year's Eve. I started by poaching some boneless skinless chicken breasts in salted water just until cooked. This was diced up with some celery and carrots. Walnuts and dried cranberries were added. I made a homemade curry powder with cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, asafoetida and salt. This with a little bit of mayo was the dressing. I served it in bite-sized portions wrapped with romaine lettuce leaves.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jgowY_h3I/AAAAAAAACBg/Z-vUS2AnsM4/s1600-h/IMG_9876.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jgowY_h3I/AAAAAAAACBg/Z-vUS2AnsM4/s400/IMG_9876.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424832741956880242" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-62653988462237310202010-01-12T08:00:00.002-06:002010-01-12T08:00:01.479-06:00Cheese and Crackers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcoQYVLyI/AAAAAAAACA4/QQYbgkLvO2c/s1600-h/IMG_9868.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcoQYVLyI/AAAAAAAACA4/QQYbgkLvO2c/s400/IMG_9868.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424828335317659426" /></a>You can't have a New Year's Eve party without cheese and crackers. No easy cheese on ritz crackers here. I found some very nice cheeses from my local market and paired them with some not so plain crackers. My favorites were the triple cream St. Andre and the Humboldt Fog. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcoCjwPQI/AAAAAAAACAw/vI8UyEm7SH0/s1600-h/IMG_9870.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcoCjwPQI/AAAAAAAACAw/vI8UyEm7SH0/s400/IMG_9870.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424828331607473410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcn_iY0TI/AAAAAAAACAo/-Z46zIGihEk/s1600-h/IMG_9871.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jcn_iY0TI/AAAAAAAACAo/-Z46zIGihEk/s400/IMG_9871.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424828330796437810" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-68923704191179224512010-01-11T08:00:00.003-06:002010-01-11T08:00:02.456-06:00Garlic Shrimp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jbLdRKDRI/AAAAAAAACAg/238PWO2Kpo4/s1600-h/IMG_9873.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jbLdRKDRI/AAAAAAAACAg/238PWO2Kpo4/s400/IMG_9873.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424826741049396498" /></a>Here's an other classic Spanish tapas that I served on New Year's Eve. It couldn't get simpler. I just heated some olive oil in a pan, added some red pepper flakes and lots of chopped garlic. This was cooked for just a few seconds and the shrimp was tossed in. It only takes a couple of minutes of stir frying to cook the shrimp through. Near the end I squeezed a lemon over the shrimp and plated it up. It is important NOT to skimp on the olive oil. Use a good amount so you'll have a little bit of heaven to dip your crusty bread into.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jbLEvnlRI/AAAAAAAACAY/VN4IRM7m-XE/s1600-h/IMG_9874.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jbLEvnlRI/AAAAAAAACAY/VN4IRM7m-XE/s400/IMG_9874.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424826734466274578" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-16834839510040086282010-01-10T08:00:00.003-06:002010-01-10T08:00:04.602-06:00Chipotle Spiced Almonds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOpjmwLI/AAAAAAAACAQ/D3oIvQ5cPQQ/s1600-h/IMG_9866.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOpjmwLI/AAAAAAAACAQ/D3oIvQ5cPQQ/s400/IMG_9866.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424823497352724658" /></a>I was in the tapas mood so I made some Spanish inspired dishes for New Year's Eve. These snacks are reminiscent of some Spanish spiced almonds I once had at a tapas bar. These were crazy easy to make. I started by toasting some cumin and coriander seeds. These were ground and mixed with some coarse salt, sugar, paprika and wonderfully smoky chipotle pepper powder. The almonds were baked for 1o minutes in a 400 degree oven then mixed with a bit of olive oil and the spices and roasted for another 10 minutes. See! Easy as spiced almonds!<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOSxolnI/AAAAAAAACAI/B92Hg4jFg1I/s1600-h/IMG_9867.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOSxolnI/AAAAAAAACAI/B92Hg4jFg1I/s400/IMG_9867.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424823491237549682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOHASazI/AAAAAAAACAA/SBM47jRYztE/s1600-h/IMG_9856.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYOHASazI/AAAAAAAACAA/SBM47jRYztE/s400/IMG_9856.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424823488077785906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYNj_UHrI/AAAAAAAAB_4/3tS-Qq671GI/s1600-h/IMG_9861.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jYNj_UHrI/AAAAAAAAB_4/3tS-Qq671GI/s400/IMG_9861.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424823478678462130" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-78678822398159753382010-01-09T13:58:00.001-06:002010-01-09T14:31:06.892-06:00Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Sushi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdi8qszzI/AAAAAAAACBY/KmTxmRcstog/s1600-h/IMG_9881.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdi8qszzI/AAAAAAAACBY/KmTxmRcstog/s400/IMG_9881.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829343638277938" /></a>On New Year's Eve I hosted some friends for an evening of appetizers and drinks. Over the next few days I'll be posting some of the items I made throughout that night. I love to celebrate the diversity of cuisines on New Year's Eve so let's go to Asia. Well, sort of. I've never had this particular combination in Japan but my guests really enjoyed this East meets Pacific Northwest sushi roll. I used Korean rice and cooked it with some konbu (kombu - seaweed). The rice was seasoned with rice vinegar and sugar. I used strips of smoked salmon and cream cheese. The combination was fantastic. The flavor of the salmon permeated your mouth and the cheese provided a wonderful creamy texture. I'll definitely make this again.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdiZu4fHI/AAAAAAAACBQ/rOWL81zHVpo/s1600-h/IMG_9859.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdiZu4fHI/AAAAAAAACBQ/rOWL81zHVpo/s400/IMG_9859.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829334260579442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdiBPvbPI/AAAAAAAACBI/keDiq5P7ZlM/s1600-h/IMG_9858.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdiBPvbPI/AAAAAAAACBI/keDiq5P7ZlM/s400/IMG_9858.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829327687511282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdh8mwzZI/AAAAAAAACBA/SNTeBjSv9jo/s1600-h/IMG_9882.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jdh8mwzZI/AAAAAAAACBA/SNTeBjSv9jo/s400/IMG_9882.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829326441893266" /></a><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-48328563446479686432010-01-09T13:07:00.003-06:002010-01-09T13:11:22.702-06:00Fried Rice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jUAafBkeI/AAAAAAAAB_w/pFg1oxKXCmo/s1600-h/IMG_9850.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/S0jUAafBkeI/AAAAAAAAB_w/pFg1oxKXCmo/s400/IMG_9850.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818854742299106" /></a>Leftover Christmas ham and leftover rice = a hearty and tasty meal. I made this the day after Christmas but am just getting around to posting it for you all. Fried rice works best with cold day-old rice. It is pretty simple to do. I fired some chilis, garlic and ginger in my wok for a few seconds then added diced onions and carrots. These were fried for a few seconds and diced ham and frozen peas were added. After this had warmed up a bit I added the rice and fried it up with constant stirring until it was heated through. I seasoned it with some sesame oil and soy sauce. Near the end I made a well in the bottom of the wok and fried up a couple of beaten eggs and stirred this all together.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-56154966347673887522009-12-27T15:10:00.004-06:002009-12-27T15:18:24.732-06:00Cranberry Pickle - Indian Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNm3aufCI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/japf-SJqTo8/s1600-h/IMG_9769.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNm3aufCI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/japf-SJqTo8/s400/IMG_9769.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420026744158452770" /></a>Fresh cranberries are abundant in the grocery stores these days. And for me that means spicy flavorful Indian style pickles. I love Indian spices and flavors and really adore the tangy spicy pickled fruits and vegetables that are a staple in India. They don't have cranberries there but if they did I'm sure they would use them for pickles.<div><br /></div><div>My pickle started with a tablespoon of fenugreek, cumin and a teaspoon of mustard seeds. These were dry roasted in a hot pan and then ground up.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNmJI0y1I/AAAAAAAAB_Q/7xJem9dyi4U/s1600-h/IMG_9766.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNmJI0y1I/AAAAAAAAB_Q/7xJem9dyi4U/s400/IMG_9766.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420026731735337810" /></a>Here you can see the ground spices and red chili flakes. I used Korean red chili pepper since that is what I had on hand.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNlzuXkaI/AAAAAAAAB_I/Qx7EiuuYhcQ/s1600-h/IMG_9772.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNlzuXkaI/AAAAAAAAB_I/Qx7EiuuYhcQ/s400/IMG_9772.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420026725987226018" /></a>The next step was to coarsely chop the cranberries. A few pulses in the food processor does a wonderful job.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNltpqBiI/AAAAAAAAB_A/mRkFrNDP9MI/s1600-h/IMG_9774.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNltpqBiI/AAAAAAAAB_A/mRkFrNDP9MI/s400/IMG_9774.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420026724356851234" /></a>To make the pickle I heated a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan and popped some mustard seeds in the oil. I added a pinch of tumeric and a teaspoon of hing (asafoetida). The oil was allowed to cool and then all the ingredients were mixed with the chopped cranberries. I also added a bit of lemon juice for some added tang. I jarred them up and put them in the fridge. After a few days these will be tasting great.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNlXR77ZI/AAAAAAAAB-4/0Me6pEnyYbY/s1600-h/IMG_9776.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzfNlXR77ZI/AAAAAAAAB-4/0Me6pEnyYbY/s400/IMG_9776.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420026718351781266" /></a>This pickle looks absolutely gorgeous when mixed with hot steaming rice.<br /><br /></div></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-46912643395663167622009-12-26T08:50:00.003-06:002009-12-26T11:14:50.513-06:00Christmas Eve Coq Au Vin<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzYjC6Okq_I/AAAAAAAAB-Q/eTg2zJ9gamo/s400/IMG_9792.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419557734484061170" /><div><div style="text-align: left;">Nothing says comfort food better than coq au vin. And no time is better for comfort food than the night before Christmas.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took one whole chicken and butchered it up into pieces. These were lightly dredged with seasoned flour.<br /><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzYjDA_JbtI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/pzOzpJZKJzY/s400/IMG_9786.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419557736298409682" /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Into the pot I started with some bacon. Once the fat was rendered I tossed in a whole head of garlic.<br /><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzYjDdxZujI/AAAAAAAAB-g/m-0xIC7H478/s400/IMG_9782.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419557744025385522" />The garlic was removed and some onions and mushrooms were sautéed in the pot with the bacon fat.<br /><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzYjDynbhUI/AAAAAAAAB-o/IN5lWaDEN0c/s400/IMG_9785.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419557749620704578" />The mushrooms were removed. A bit of olive oil was added to the pot and the chicken pieces were browned on all sides. Then in went a cup of red wine. I used a nice Chianti for this one but a Pinot Noir would be great too. When the pan was deglazed I added two cups of chicken broth and some dried thyme. The chicken was stewed for about 15 minutes and then the bacon, garlic, mushrooms and onions were added back to the pot. This was stewed for another 15 minutes or so. The gravy was thickened with a bit of butter and flour and everything was served on a bed of mashed potatoes. YUMMY!<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SzYjEDEOBxI/AAAAAAAAB-w/RiRQRKjkSK4/s400/IMG_9788.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419557754036422418" />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-49684324423486484132009-11-15T19:19:00.002-06:002009-11-15T19:28:07.245-06:00Squash Risotto with Chicken Sausage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SwCoxXSuKcI/AAAAAAAAB-I/Nm3icJ5Nfdo/s1600-h/IMG_9222.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SwCoxXSuKcI/AAAAAAAAB-I/Nm3icJ5Nfdo/s400/IMG_9222.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404505118864189890" /></a>Hello dear cooking blog. Please accept my apologies for being away for so long. But I am back and I thought this dish would help make up for my long absence. I just love a nice savory stick to your ribs risotto. While I was rummaging through the fridge looking for something to throw together for dinner I spied some leftover roasted squash. I am growing weary of the typical squash soup and thought maybe I could incorporate this into some risotto. Yes! I still have some decent fresh sage in the garden - a perfect match with squash. And for some protein I have these delicious chicken sausage with asiago cheese and spinach in the freezer. Perfect! <div><br /></div><div>I made a chicken broth with water and some Korean chicken dashi powder. Not quite homemade but it will do in a pinch for this dish. Altogether it was about 7 cups of broth. I chopped up a medium onion and sauteed it in a hot pan with olive oil. Once they were softened I added about 2.5 cups of Korean rice. I use this rice for everything. It has a fair amount of starch which lends itself well to risotto if you don't rinse it. I tossed in the rice, some chopped garlic and some sliced fresh sage. I started slowly adding the broth with stirring over the next 15 minutes. I added some frozen peas for a touch of sweetness and color and added a pound of the chicken sausage. Cooking was continued for another 5 minutes or so until the rice was the perfect texture - not too soft and not to crunchy. It was nicely savory and really filling<br /><br /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846800792630772884.post-6469897115671796352009-08-12T07:57:00.008-05:002009-08-12T08:35:19.761-05:00Zucchini Kimchee and Fried Rice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SoK9dCD25JI/AAAAAAAAB98/y9d8jpEh6A0/s1600-h/IMG_8821_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SoK9dCD25JI/AAAAAAAAB98/y9d8jpEh6A0/s400/IMG_8821_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369062012245959826" /></a>If you have a vegetable garden you know what this time of year is. Yes, zucchini overload! Now, there are tons of recipes out there for zucchini that are terrific. But I thought, why not do something a little bit different? I love Korean food and <a href="http://gregcooks.blogspot.com/search/label/kimchee">kimchee</a> in particular. So, why not try using this wonderful summer squash in a spicy Korean relish? I looked around and there are few examples out there of zucchini kimchi but I do know that in Korea they make spicy pickles from all kinds of vegetables including summer squashes. What can be wrong with fresh vegetables, garlic, ginger and spicy red pepper? Nothing! I am happy to say my little experiment worked.<div><br /></div><div>I started with about 4 cups of zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds. If the zucchini was too big around I split it into smaller pieces before slicing. The zucchini was sprinkled liberally with salt and left to stand for about an hour after which I rinsed the squash and drained it well. To make the kimchee sauce I used about 1/2 cup of Korean red pepper flakes 8 large cloves of garlic, 1 inch of ginger, minced, a tbps of sugar and about 2 tbsp of fish sauce. Green onions would have been best but I didn't have any so I slivered up about one half of a large yellow onion into this as well. The pepper mixture was mixed well with the squash and it was placed in a jar to ferment for about 24 hours. I put it in the fridge after one day. This kimchee is not sour at all and I think I like it best freshly made. I used an Italian Costa Romanesca variety of squash that is my favorite. It has a great mild flavor when raw that matches well with the kimchee.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the things I like to do with kimchee is to make kimchi fried rice. I had this for breakfast this morning. I just sautéed some of the kimchee in a bit of sesame oil, added some pieces of cooked chicken meat and then fried some leftover white rice with the whole mix. A breakfast only an Asian (and I) could love.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SoK9c504ECI/AAAAAAAAB90/EMxgS3TQ-kc/s1600-h/IMG_8823_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kufElHa-EkM/SoK9c504ECI/AAAAAAAAB90/EMxgS3TQ-kc/s400/IMG_8823_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369062010035638306" /></a><br /></div></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750733389025084939noreply@blogger.com4